Dr. Fauci expects decision on J&J vaccine as soon as Friday

A decision on whether to resume use of Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine could come as soon as Friday, Dr. Anthony Fauci told CBS's "Face the Nation" on Sunday, adding that he would not be surprised if there is a "resumption in some form."

"I don't know if there have been further cases. We will know that by Friday, and I would be very surprised... if we don't have a resumption in some form by Friday. A decision almost certainly will be made by Friday," Fauci said.

U.S. health regulators recommended last week that use of the J&J vaccine be paused after reports of six cases of rare brain blood clots in women, out of some 7 million people who have received the shot in the United States.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advisory panel is set to meet on April 23 to discuss the next steps for the vaccine.

Fauci said he does not know what the final decision will be, but he said there are a few possibilities.

"One of the possibilities would be to bring them back, but to do it with some form of restriction or some form of warning. But I believe by Friday, we're going to know the answer to that," he added.